The "fighting paper of the National Socialist movement of Greater Germany" (Kampfblatt der nationalsozialistischen Bewegung Großdeutschlands) had its origin in the Münchener Beobachter ("Munich Observer"), an anti-Semitic weekly paper which in 1918 was acquired by the Thule Society and in August 1919 was renamed Völkischer Beobachter.

Major Ernst Röhm and Dietrich Eckart persuaded Röhm’s commanding officer, Major General Franz Ritter von Epp, to purchase the Völkischer Beobachter in December 1920 for the NSDAP from the Thule Society for 60,000 Papiermark. It was never definitively established where Epp got the money, but it almost certainly came from secret army funds. This demonstrates a clear early link between the army and right wing radicals like the Nazis.[1] After the Nazis acquired the paper, Eckart became the first editor.

In 1921, Adolf Hitler, who had taken full control of the NSDAP earlier that year, acquired all shares in the company, making him the sole owner of the publication.[2]

The circulation of the paper was initially about 8,000 but increased to 25,000 in autumn 1923 due to strong demand during the Occupation of the Ruhr. In that year Alfred Rosenberg became editor.[3] With the prohibition of the NSDAP after the Beer Hall Putsch of 9 November 1923, the paper also had to cease publication, which resumed however on the party's refoundation on 26 February 1925. The circulation rose along with the success of the Nazi movement, reaching more than 120,000 in 1931 and 1.7 million by 1944.[4]

During the rise to power, it reported general news but also party activities, presenting them as almost constant success.[5] Guidelines for propagandists urged that all posters, insofar as the police allowed, contain propaganda for it, and all meetings should be announced in it, although reports should be sent to the Propaganda Department, which would then forward corrected versions to the paper.[6] Posters did indeed urge reading it.[7] When Hitler was banned from public speaking, it was the main vehicle to propagate his views.[8]

Joseph Goebbels published articles in it to attack the United States for criticizing anti-Jewish measures,[9] and to describe Russia.[10]